Curtain stretcher



Jan. 1, 1935. F. slEvERN Erm.

CURTAIN STRETCHER Filed Feb. 28, 1954 .www5

INVENTORS' 3 #Ld @f Patented Jan. l, 1935 UNITED STATE CURTAIN s'rnlricnlm i Fredrick Sievern and John F.Vr Lizak,

I Application 7' I Claims.

Our invention'relates` to stretchersffor supporting curtainsjand the like, and holding them in ya taut condition while; drying.

One object of' our "invent'cn is to provide a stretcher havingimprovedfastening devices on the stretcher bars, to which the edges of the curtains caribe progressively connected, and wherein the' use fof sharp brads or pins for holding the` curtain is rendered unnecessary.`

Another object of our invention is to provide progressively-,arranged fastening devices for the edges of the curtains, which are adjustable in directions parallel ,to the edges of the curtains.

Still another' object vof our invention is to provide fastening'devices of the screw-clamping type, so arranged that certain of said fastening devices at each edge can be employed for rst.

fastening one curtain in place, and others of said fastening devices can be utilized to fasten an additional curtain in place on top of the first curtain, without disturbing the rst-named fastening devices.

Some of the forms which our invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a face View of the stretcher; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face view showing one manner in* which the clamping devices may be employed for holding a plurality. of curtains in place; Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof, and Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional View showing a modified screw-clamping device.

The bars constituting the stretcher frame may be assembled and adjusted in somewhat` the usual manner. .In the drawing, we have indicated longitudinal or edge bars bythe numerals 8 and 9, the transverse or end bars by vthe'numerals 10 and 11, and the legs by the numeral 12. The longitudinal4 and the end bars are adjustably connected together by clamps 13, 14, 15 and 16, in a manner well-known in the art.

The stretcher bars 8, 9, 10 and 11 are grooved for the reception of metal channels 17 which are fastened in place by suitable screws 18, and have their outer edges inturned, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.

The channels serve as slideways for the heads of screws 19, a suitable number of which are placed in each channel. The channels 1'7 are bent upwardly at their outer ends as indicated at 21, to keep the screws from` sliding out and becoming lost. A clamping nutor button 22 has threaded engagement with each of the screws 19,

Mclleesport, Pa. y p Februaryas, 1934, serial No. 713,342 f (Cl. l5-24) and is utilized to clamp the edges ofI the curtains against the outer faces of the channels 1'7,` thus avoiding the use of the pins which are commonly employed, and which are objectionablefcr various reasons, such as because they pricky the ne gers of the user'and are more likely to cause tearing of the curtains. The heads of the screws are squared'to prevent rotation thereof inthe channels when the buttons are being turned'.`

In using thestructure, the frame is asseml0 bled in the `n'ianner shown in Figs. 1 ,and 2, for example, in accordance with the, size cf cur-v tains to be stretched. A suitable number? of clampingscrew's, with their buttons 22, are 'po' sitioned withinftherectangular''area` ofthe lf frame, the' "surplus buttons and screws being stored at the free ends of the stretche'rfbars'.l The buttons can', of course, be spaced apart any suitable distance, andsuch adjustment is partici ularly convenient when curtains having scal-` loped edges are to be stretched.

In placing 'a curtain in position on the stretcher frame, the operator may first fasten the curtain at'one corner of the frame by turning the button down to clamp one corner of the curtain. The curtain may then be stretched along its edges, and progressively clamped by the other buttons. It will be understood that either a single curtain or a plurality of curtains can thus be fastened in place.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, we show an arrangement whereby a single curtain 24 may rst be fastened in place and a second curtain 25 then fastened in place, without disturbing the buttons which hold the curtain 24.- In such instances, a greater number of clamping buttons will be employed than as shown in Fig. 1. vAlternate buttons 22a will be utilized to hold `the curtain 24, whereupon the curtain 25 can be brought into position beneath the buttons 22h 40 and clamped thereby.

The buttons 22a will not interferevwith the placing of the curtain 25, because the edges of the curtain can lie within the annular grooves 26 which are formed in the buttons. The channels 17, screws 19, and buttons 22, will preferably be made of material which will not readily corrode. It will be understood that undercut grooves for the heads of the screws 19 could be cut directly in the bars without the necessity of employing the metal channels 17, but We prefer to employ the metal channels 17 because they serve to reinforce the frame bars and prevent sagging thereof.

The buttons 22, in addition to clamping the not be lost accidentally during handling of thel In lorder to` f accommo'- curtain stretcher bars. date the ends of the screws 30, the base ofthe channel 32 is depressed to provide a longitudinally-extending groove therein.

We claim as our inventionz- 1. A curtain stretcher comprising side` bars and end bars, having slideways formed therein, screwsslidably supported in said slideways, and clamping buttons carried bysaid vscrews in position ,-,to 4eri-ect. clamping engagement 1 with the edges o f, a icurtain.v V

2'. A curtain stretcher comprising' side bars and end.: bars, fhaving undercut slideways formed therein,screws-havingtheir heads supported in the said slideways and protruding at the faces of the .said bars, andcurtain-clamping vbuttons carried by saidscrews. l Y @3. A: curtain;v stretcher having-bars provided with slots, channel stripspositioned in said slots and having theirvedges inturned at the faces of the bars, screws having theirkheads slidably positifoned in saidstrips, and clamping buttons having threaded engagement .with the outer ends 4. A curtain stretcher having a plurality of rows of curtain-clamping buttons, certain of the buttons in each row having peripheral grooves in which the edges of a Ycurtain may lie when the curtain is clamped by the other buttons.

5; A curtain stretcher comprising bars having undercut slideways formed therein, screws having their heads supported in said slideways and protruding at the faces .of thebars, and clamping buttons having threaded engagement with the outer ends of the screws, and positioned to clamp curtains against the bars, and to draw the heads of the screws into clamping engagement with the Vundercut portions of the slideways.

6. A. stretcher frame having undercut slideways formed therein, nuts disposed in said slideways, headed curtain-clamping screws having .their inner ends extending through said nuts,

and means for limiting outward movement of the screws relative to the nuts.V

7. A stretcher frame having undercut slideways formed therein,lnuts disposed in said slideways, headed curtain-clampingfscrews having their inner ends extending vthrou'ghysaid nuts, and means for limiting youtward movement` of the screws relative to the nuts, `the bottom wall of the-slideway havinga narrow recess for re-` ceivingfthe innermost ends ofthe screws.

8. A stretcher frame having undercut recesses formed therein for the reception' of nuts, and headed curtain-clamping? screws vhavingv their inner ends extendinginto saidnuts.'

FREDRICK SIEVERN. J OHN F.LIZAK. 

